Supriya Pandey 

Time, an illusion entity, has a rather indefinite way of working itself. The more we think we are approaching something, the further we seem to get from it. A very simple example of this can be lifecycle of human beings - it starts with us being completely dependent and ends in dependency too. Our parents who once could support us lose their independence to us as we gain our independence from them gradually. Although it may not seem likely, everything around us works in circles.
With the hustle and bustle and endless circles of life, putting every aspect of life into a place is rather difficult. The world is evolutionary, and with every aspect of evolution that takes place, there is a new place for both development and degradation.

New Tool
Juggling works and keeping up with this changing world is weary than it seems to be for which most people adapt to a new tool: multitasking.
Multitasking appears to be the most effective way to manage hectic schedules. However, some researches have shown that our brain isn’t as good at handling multiple tasks at once as it may seem to, even decreasing productivity by as far as 40%.

Our brain is a muscle, the more we train it to adapt to a certain pattern, the easier it gets for it to get used to the so pattern. Juggling different works at once can bring some improvements in neural connections causing a slight improvement in multiple pattern recognition for a short term. But this may impair cognitive ability, causing issues including memory loss and inability to focus and recognise things in the long term.
Multitasks have a certain difficulty focusing on work having lower levels of motivation and self-discipline. They have a lower attention span and declined levels of productivity percentage. They also tend to get constant brain fog and have temporary but higher levels of memory impairment. They have problems in tasks requiring goal-orientation and higher levels of concentration. Multitasking also has an adverse effect in an individual’s mental health.

It causes severe disruptions in eating and sleeping patterns which has a high possibility of hampering one’s physical health too. The quality of tasks declines gradually causing lower levels of stimulation and interest in one’s day to day life.
This sort of declination can cause a person to fall into depression as well as get more prone to addictive behaviours. They require greater levels of stimulation to get motivated which can cause the certain person to either turn into workaholic or an addict.

Such patterns can cause serious burnout or increase stress levels in a rush. Researchers show that excessive chronic multitasking is inimical to neural connectivity in adolescent brains, where shredding the attention thin can cause issues in the development of neural connections causing problems in recognition.

Different MRI studies show that our minds cannot handle more than two tasks simultaneously. The prefrontal cortex of our minds is responsible for planning, processing, memory, prioritizing and decision making, where thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) is mainly responsible for multitasking. Multitasking slows down the brain functioning.
Studies at University of Sussex have shown that excessive multitasking also causes changes in the density of anterior cingulated cortex part of the brain, which is responsible for feelings of kindness and forgiveness. Certain research also showed that participants who were involved in constant multitasking had declination in IQ levels. Multitasking was found to increase the stress hormone (cortisol) more than usual. Multitasking also decreases an individual’s ability to empathise causing declination in EQ levels as well.

Research has shown that heavy multitaskers have a lot more trouble in social interactions than slight multitaskers because of inability to pay attention to certain things for a long time.
There are certain techniques to minimise multitasking habits to a minimum. The first would be setting the correct routine and time distribution for each task.
Allocating an hour or 2 for a single task and moving to another can eventually soar productivity higher than expected. Turning off your phone or notifications can help a lot in focusing on a single task. People with less attention span can use the 30 minute rule where you work for 30 minutes and rest for 5 minutes repeatedly. Having a single clear goal can help a lot in increasing productivity levels.
Meditation, regulation in sleeping and eating patterns and physical exercise can help a lot in adjusting in lower stimulation which will eventually decrease problems regarding lower levels of attention span and memory impairment. Multitasking isn’t always bad either.

Reflection
It depends on the level of complexity each task holds. However, it is always best to focus on a single task rather than juggling between tasks. Taking time off for yourself to reflect on your progress or lie down in bed doing nothing but reflecting can also help a lot in focusing and boosting concentration skills. It can help in organising our thoughts and eliminating unnecessary aspects of our lives gradually.
Avoiding multitasking seems near impossible if you are loaded with many tasks on your to-do list. Setting time for tasks and yourself can primarily help you gain a boost in productivity as well as feel a lot better about yourself at the end of the day. Allocating time for self-care, exercise, reflection and meditation, goal setting and socialising with the right people could lead to intense satisfaction in oneself causing lower stress levels and improved mental health.

(Pandey is an artist and student of English linguistics)